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Pigeon-feeding Wanstead pensioner electronically tagged and faces jail, judge warns
Redbridge Council has taken an OAP to court for feeding birds. Picture: Ken Mears. - Credit: Archant
A woman who spent years leaving food and raw meat outside has been warned she could end up behind bars.
She is banned from feeding the birds. Picture: Ken Mears. - Credit: Archant
Jennifer Bagram, 71, found herself in court again after persistently flouting court orders banning her from putting out food anywhere in Redbridge.
For more than 20 years Bagram, of Grosvenor Road, had placed meat, bird food and nuts in open spaces, alleyways and under trees near her home and in the gardens of her neighbours to feed pigeons and other wildlife.
As a consequence residents - who were plagued by foxes digging up their gardens, rat infestations and property damage by flocks of pigeons - thought their misery was over when she was taken to court in 2018.
However it wasn't long before Bagram was back to her old habits and despite repeated council warnings she continued to break the Community Protection Notice and Criminal Behaviour Order served on her earlier.
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Council enforcement officers took the pensioner to court again this year after building up a dossier documenting numerous breaches of her banning orders since 2018.
She appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 10, after pleading guilty to four counts of breaching her court order in relation to dropping food in and around Wanstead.
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The judge warned she could end up in prison unless she changed her behaviour.
Bagram was sentenced to a six-month community order, told to abide by the terms and conditions of her existing court order and ordered to be electronically GPS tagged for three months in conjunction with being excluded from entering certain parts of the borough including High Street Wanstead.
Cabinet Member for civic pride, Cllr John Howard, said:"We have tried to work with Miss Bagram over the years but unfortunately our repeated warnings have fallen on deaf ears.
"We were left with no choice but to take her to court as she refuses to change her behaviour and her actions are having an adverse effect on the local community.
"It's not fair for local people to be suffering because of her persistent anti-social behaviour."
